"This..." Imperial Chef Wang said, "Your Highness, the fragrant smell you noticed could be the spicy chicken stir-fry that Li Yao personally made."
"Auntie Li made it herself? Where is it? Why not serve it to us to have a taste too?"
"This..."
Imperial Chef Wang instantly broke into a sweat on his forehead. He certainly could not say that Li Yao had made the dishes, but ended up taking them into the room to eat by herself.
Inside the room, Li Yao heard this and decided not to hide anymore, since she had basically finished the spicy chicken already. The remaining chicken chunks, she and the little maid could not finish anyway.
So she brought out the leftover chicken and came out with the little maid.
"It's here."
"Good Auntie Li, you made such a fragrant dish yet did not let us have a taste."
"This is for pregnant women to eat. Are you going to fight for it too?"
"I dare not, I dare not," Liu Yun smiled and swallowed his saliva, "but eating a little less shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Seeing him keep swallowing his saliva, Li Yao was truly speechless.
What kind of imperial prince was this guy? Where was his princely image?
"Go ahead and eat up. We've had our fill anyway."
"Thank you Auntie Li!"
Liu Yun picked up his chopsticks and grabbed a piece of chicken to put in his mouth. In his haste, the shiny oil smeared all over his chin, but he did not mind at all. As soon as he finished one piece he grabbed another.
"It's so delicious, just lacking in chili peppers." As he spoke, he picked up the few remaining chili peppers and shared them with Wang Er and Song Zhe, "Good brothers should share the blessings."
Imperial Chef Wang watched dumbfounded from the side.
He thought, His Highness is an imperial prince, yet he eats other people's leftovers so ungracefully, calling Wang Er and Song Zhe his brothers...
If any of these things got reported back to the capital, the entire palace would surely be shocked and mystified.
Li Yao brought out the unfinished meal and sat at the table as well.
"Liu Yun, I need your help with something."
"Go ahead Auntie Li."
"I want to find someone to accompany little maid," said Li Yao. "Someone knowledgeable, who knows how to speak properly. Preferably not too old either."
Liu Yun thought for a moment and said, "That's easy. Don't worry Auntie, I'll have Bai Song rush back to the capital and bring a couple of palace maids here."
"Would it take too long?"
"It won't. With fast horses, changing mounts but not people, a round trip will not exceed ten days."
Palace maids should be qualified enough. This matter could be considered settled.
After the meal, just as Li Yao was about to go rest for a while, Liu Yuan came back from Nanzhao. He said there was an urgent matter to report immediately.
It turned out that when Liu Yuan rushed to Nanzhao, he was still stopped at the border, unable to enter at all. So he found several stockades near the border to discuss purchasing rubber.
But after letting Liu Yuan's men into the stockade, they locked them up and demanded 3,000 taels of silver to ransom them. Otherwise, they would behead Liu Yuan's group in half a month.
"Auntie Li, our old master told me to tell you - do not agree to give them any money no matter what. These people are totally untrustworthy and insatiable. He is afraid that after giving them money, they will demand more."
"I understand," Li Yao asked, "What is your name?"
"Reporting to Madam, my full name is Huang Zhang, nickname Shi Tou."
"Go rest for now. We'll set off tonight."
...
If it was just a failure to purchase rubber, Li Yao would certainly not bother making a trip herself. But now that Liu Yuan's men were detained, she had to go take a look.
When Liu Yun heard she was going to the border, he also said he would tag along.
Liu Xiu did not want to bring this drag, but thinking he might need the border troops, she agreed to let him come along.
"But I have a condition," said Li Yao. "You must listen to me."
"Don't worry Auntie Li, I promise not to make trouble."
Li Yao felt that given Liu Yun's temperament, not making trouble was probably impossible.
But she could let him stay behind later, he probably wouldn't stir up too much trouble.
In the afternoon, after briefing her family, Li Yao set off lightly towards Nanzhao with the others. To avoid worrying everyone, she only said she was going to discuss a big deal over there.
They were used to her taking long trips already, so no one thought much of it.
Bai Song was sent to the capital. Liu Yun did not have any trustworthy men by his side either, so they prepared to travel without guards.
But Li Yao was worried, so she went to the county office and borrowed Zhang County Captain and another clerk from Song County Magistrate, responsible specifically for Liu Yun's safety.
After a brief farewell, the party of five rushed towards Nanzhao overnight on fast horses.
Not long after leaving Yizhou Prefecture territory, the surrounding mountains grew increasingly tall and the roads dangerously winding. Fortunately the journey was not too far. After rushing and pacing for three days, the border came into view in the distance.
Nanzhao had a hot climate, and it was not yet rainy season, so the sun was exceptionally scorching.
Without much exposure, Liu Yun's face and arms already started peeling.
"Why is the sun here so fiercely hot?"
"Your Highness might not know," explained the accompanying Zhang County Captain, "Nanzhao only has three seasons a year - spring, summer, and autumn. It particularly lacks winter. And summer is quite long. Right now it is dry heat. When rainy season comes it will be humid heat. At that time, whether it is farmland or forests, miasma is easily bred. If people inadvertently inhale it, it becomes deadly."
His words frightened Liu Yun somewhat. Li Yao wanted to laugh seeing it.
With underdeveloped medicine and science in ancient times, illnesses like malaria, dysentery, typhoid fever, hemorrhagic fever, etc. were all attributed to miasma.
Malaria in particular was easily spread through parasites or mosquito bites. Symptoms included chills and fever, also known as intermittent fever.
With inadequate medical technology, severe cases were basically incurable.
However, locals had many methods to deal with malaria. They applied herbal juices to their skin to prevent mosquito bites, only drank water they brought from home, etc.
From the history Li Yao knew, there were also experts in malaria prevention, like Zhuge Liang.
When he made seven captures and seven releases of Meng Huo, he prepared preventive measures beforehand, so few in the army fell ill.
Of course, Li Yao would not use ancient methods. She had better ones.
Green ointment was definitely an amulet against mosquito bites. As long as she maintained good hygiene habits, avoided heat stroke, what miasma would dare approach?
"The border garrison is just ahead," said Shi Tou. "Auntie Li, do you want to find a place to stay there first?"
"Can people stay at will in the border garrison?" Liu Yun could not help asking.
"The interior is off limits," Shi Tou replied. "But because many merchants came and went in the past, the garrison set up an inn to provide simple lodging and food, as well as fodder for horses."
It seemed the garrison here was quite business-savvy.
"Let's go take a look then. We'll need a place to stay."
